In the event a telephone subscriber misdials a number for which a charge is levied, in order to obtain credit for the charge, an operator must be dialed and the credit requested. However due to a reducing ratio of operators relative to the number of calls they must process, subscribers calling for operator service are typically placed in long queues, having to incur waits sometimes as long as several minutes to be served. Further, unfriendly operators are sometimes encountered, making a request for credit an unpleasant experience.
Further, operators can sometimes make mistakes as to whether credit should or should not have been granted, relying on the presumed honesty of the subscriber. In such cases, there is a possibility of fraud by the subscriber.
It would be desirable for telephone companies to provide very quick and reliable service to the subscriber, reducing or substantially eliminating the possibility of fraud, and reducing cost.